Constitution (Satzung in engl. Sprache)
§1 Name, head office, financial year
(1)The name of the association if Convivio mundi e.V.
(2)The association has its head office in Hannover
(3)The financial year is the same as the calendar year.
§2 Purpose of the association, realization of pur.
(1) The purpose of the association is the promotion of an inmage of humanity, which understands man as capable of reason in a universal sense, which includes all cultures and particularly expresses the beauty of the human soul, whether in the arts or in science. In this image of humanity, the relationship between man and nature is brought into harmony. It aims at connecting cultures and religions and all men – poor and rich, young and old, sick and healthy, handicapped and non-handicapped people. Thus, the association is promoting purposes of education.
(2) In particular, the purposes of the association are realized by way of:
* Holding seminars, conferences and giving public presentations;
* Reciting and presenting literary works of all cultures and epochs;
* Building a circle of researchers to study the philosophical and economic foundations of the Common Good;
* Establishing reading circles, to study and communicate the beauty, universality and eternalness of this image of humanity in literature and science;
* Establishment of working groups:
- To promote competence in language and knowledge of literature among children and young people
- To integrate migrant people through improving their knowledge about German literature and the literature of their home lands
- To promote the knowledge of music
- To familiarize children, young people and adults with the groundbreaking achievements in the field of science, through experiments and projects
* Translations of literature from other cultures
* The publication of a newsletter of the association (planned)
(3) The association pursues aims which are directly of a non-profit nature, as deined in the section “Purposes Eligible for Tax Relief of the German Tax Code (Abgabenordnung). The association acts selflessly, and does not primarily pursue objects aimed at economic viability. Funds of the association may be used only for the purposes set in the constition. In their capacity as members, the members do not receive any payments from funds of the association, and are not entitled to the association's funds.
(4) No person may be receiving any paymentgiven preferenential treatment as a result of expenses which are not related to the purpose of the association, or as a result of unreasonably high renumeration.
(5) Upon the dissolution of the association or the cessation of the previous purposes, the remaining funds of the association passes to the Gottfried-Weilhelm-Leibniz-Gesellschaft e.V. (registered at th Amtsgericht Hannover VR Nr. 3430), on condition that the funds are used solely and directly for non-profit purposes.
(6) Decisions about amendments to the constitution that relate to the purpose of the association, must be presented for approval to the relevant tax office, before being filed with the register court.
§3 Membership
(1) Every natural or legal person that supports the purpose of the association may become a member. The association differentiates between active and supporting (associate) members; honorary members may be appointed.
(2) Active consent, to actively support the association's activity. Any person seeking membership must direct a written application to the board, that decides about hier or her admission to the association. Active membership only takes effect, after it was approved in writing by the board.
(3) Supporting members may participate in the general meetings of the membership, but do not have any voting rights. Supporting members become members after the application is written and the membership dues be paid. The membership takes effect, unless the board issues a written dissent within 14 days.
(4) Members must pay membership dues. Amount and time for payment are decided by the general meeting of the membership. Membership dues for supporting members may be set higher than those for active members.
(5) Membership ends by death of a member, by a written declaration of resignation, by removal from the list of members, or by expulsion from the association. The board may only remove a member from the list of members, after the member's payments of dues are in default for more than six months, and the member has not responded by payment after two reminders written at a distance of at least four weeks; the second reminder must contain the warning that the member will be removed from the list of members. The board may expell a member for conduct damaging to the interests of the association. Before the expulsion takes effect, the member must be given the right to vindicate himself in front of the board. A decision for expulsion must be justified; and must be made available to the member in writing. The member may appeal against the expulsion to the general meeting of the membership. The written appeal must arrive at the board within one month of the expulsion. If the appeal has been filed orderly and in time, the board must seek a decision about the appeal during the next general meeting of the membership. Until that point, the rights of membership remain adjourned. The affected person must be given the opportunity to comment during the meeting of the membership. If the member fails to exercize his right of appeal against the decision for expulsion; or if he/she misses the time for appeal, he/she submits to the decision for expulsion. There is no review in court of the justifiability of the expulsion.
(6) Memberships dues payable must be paid, irrespective of the ending of the membership. There is no refunding of paid membership dues.
(7) Honorary members of the association are proposed by the board and appointed by the general membership meeting. Honorary members have all rights of an active member. They are exempted from the payment of membership dues.
§ 4 Representative bodies
(1) Representative bodies of the association are the board and the general membership meeting.
(2) According to resolutions of the general membership meeting, other representative bodies may be formed to deal with statutory tasks.
§ 5 Board of Directors
(1) The board consists of up to three members of the board, of at least the chairman and the vice-chairman.
(2) Each of the members of the board has individual power of representation in court and out of court.
(3) The members of the board are elected by the general meeting of the membership, in separate votes. The members are elected for a period of two years; the chairman and the vice-chairman remain in office, until a successor is elected. If one of the members of the board leaves before the end of his/her term of office, the board of directors is entitled to co-opt a member of the association as provisional member of the board up to the time of the next general meeting of the membership.
(4) The board of directors is in charge of any matter of the association; unless a different body of the association is in charge, according to the constitution.
(5) The members of the board have the right for compensation of all expenses incurred during activities in connection with the association. The amounts for reimbursment are limited to the rates admissible under the fiscal code.
§ 6 General meeting of the membership
(1) The ordinary general meeting of the membership should take place once a year. An extraordinary membership meeting must be called if required by the condition of the association. A general meeting of the membership must be called if 1/3 of the members request it in writing, stating the purpose and reasons.
(2) The notice of the meeting is given in writing by the board. It will be sent to the members at least two weeks before the date of the meeting, detailing date, time and location. The notice may be issued by publication in the association's newsletter.
(3) The reponsibilities of the general membership meeting are as follows:
Election of the board
Acceptance of the statement of accounts
Discharge of the board
Fixing of membership dues in respect to amount and time of payment
Amendments of the consitution
Decisions about any appeal against decision of expulsion issued by the board
Any other task named in the constitution
(4) The right to vote is non-transferable. Any decisions are taken by a simple majority of the members present, unless a larger majority is required by law.
(5) Amendments to the consitution require a resolution of a threequarters majority of the members entitled to vote present at the meeting
(6) Minutes are taken of the decisions raken at the general membership meeting, they must be made available to every member on request. The president of the meeting and the recorder must sign the minutes.
§ 7 Dissolution of the association
(1) For the dissolution of the association, an extraordinary meeting of the membership must be convened solely for this purpose; the meeting must be announced at a term of at least one month.
(2) For the association to be dissolved three-quarters of the members entitled to vote present is required.